The present invention generally relates a medical X-ray apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is related to a medical X-ray apparatus having a function capable of acquiring both a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image by using one set of apparatus. This medical X-ray apparatus is suitable for a so-called xe2x80x9cIVR (Interventional Radiology)xe2x80x9d medical curing method with employment of an angiography and an X-ray diagnostic apparatus.
Medical X-ray fluoroscopic imaging apparatus such as X-ray fluoroscopic imaging tables and circulatory X-ray checking apparatus are necessarily required in diagnostic fields. Recently, these medical X-ray fluoroscopic imaging apparatus may be utilized not only in diagnostic purposes, but also in curing purposes. This curing operation may be carried out in such a manner that while observing X-ray fluoroscopic images, catheters equipped with various instruments at tip portions thereof are inserted into blood vessels and organs of objects under medical examination. This medical X-ray apparatus is capable of having such great merits of giving small pain to the objects under examination, as well as of executing low-cost curing operations with respect to such conventional curing operations in which celiotomy should be performed. As a consequence, very recently, this sort of medical X-ray apparatus are rapidly popularized. Such a curing method is referred to as an xe2x80x9cIVR (Interventional Radiology).xe2x80x9d
When this IVR method is carried, an operator confirms both a relative position of a portion to be cured and a shape thereof by using a three-dimensional X-ray image of this curing portion prior to an operation of this curing portion. Next, while the operator confirms a position of a curing instrument mounted on a tip portion of a catheter by way of a two-dimensional X-ray fluoroscopic image, the operator may perform this IVR method.
With respect to such an IVR method, conventionally, such an X-ray apparatus called as an X-ray rotation three-dimensional imaging apparatus is employed so as to execute this IVR method. For example, the X-ray rotation three-dimensional imaging apparatus is described in JP-A-6-327663, and is provided with the imaging system which is arranged by the X-ray source for irradiating the cone beam-shaped X-ray, the X-ray image intensifier (will be referred to as an xe2x80x9cX-ray I.I.xe2x80x9d hereinafter), and the television camera.
In this X-ray rotation three-dimensional imaging apparatus, since the object under examination is required to be installed in the cavity portion provided in the gantry having the large volume, the accesses to the object under examination by the operator along the omnidirection are restricted. As a result, it is not possible to secure a sufficiently large work space where the operator may perform the curing operations in the smooth manner.
Also, although this X-ray rotation three-dimensional imaging apparatus can perform the two-dimensional X-ray fluoroscopic imaging operation, the fluoroscopic direction is limited only to the direction perpendicular to the body axis of the object under examination. However, this X-ray rotation three-dimensional imaging apparatus cannot perform the two-dimensional X-ray fluoroscopic imaging operation along such an omnidirection as a direction oblique to the body axis, which is required in the IVR method.
In an IVR method, while both a position of a curing portion and a shape thereof of an object under medical examination are grasped by way of a three-dimensional image, this grasped curing portion is cured by observing two-dimensional fluoroscopic images acquired along an omnidirection.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical X-ray apparatus capable of varying a fluoroscopic angle with respect to a body axial direction of an object under medical examination, and capable of acquiring both a three-dimensional image and a two-dimensional image by the same apparatus, and further suitable for an IVR method.
The above-described object may be achieved by providing: a supporting member having an opening portion used to insert a table for mounting an object under examination along a body axial direction of the object under examination; a rotation member supported by the supporting member and rotated around the opening portion; a rotation control apparatus for controlling a rotation of the rotary member; a first supporting member supported by the rotation member, for supporting an X-ray tube apparatus which irradiates an X-ray to an object under examination; a second supporting member for supporting a detection apparatus for detecting a transmission X-ray of the object under examination, the second supporting member being supported by the rotary member and being arranged opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus; an image processing apparatus for processing an output signal from the detection apparatus so as to produce both a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image; a display apparatus for displaying the image produced by the image processing apparatus; and a control apparatus for setting an irradiation angle of the X-ray with respect to a body axial direction of the object under examination to an arbitrary irradiation angle, and also for arranging the detection apparatus opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus in correspondence with the set arbitrary irradiation angle. The control apparatus is arranged by an X-ray tube apparatus control apparatus for transporting the X-ray tube apparatus to an arbitrary position on the first supporting member so as to arbitrarily set an irradiation angle of an X-ray with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination; and a detection apparatus control apparatus for controlling that the angle of the detection apparatus is located opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus in response to the irradiation angle set by the X-ray tube control apparatus. The X-ray tube apparatus control apparatus is arranged by an X-ray tube apparatus transporting apparatus for transporting the X-ray tube apparatus to an arbitrary position on the first supporting member; and an irradiation angle control apparatus for arbitrarily setting the irradiation angle of the X-ray tube apparatus at the arbitrary transported position. The detection apparatus control apparatus is arranged by a detection apparatus transporting apparatus for transporting the detection apparatus to an arbitrary position on the second supporting member; and an opposite-arrangement control apparatus for arranging the detection apparatus opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus at this transported position at the irradiation angle.
Both the X-ray tube apparatus control apparatus and the detection apparatus control apparatus are arranged by, for example, the below-mentioned items (1) and (2):
(1) The shape of the first supporting member for supporting the X-ray tube and the shape of the second supporting member for the detection apparatus are formed in arc shapes in order that both the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus may maintain the opposite positional relationship at any positions on the first supporting member and the second supporting member. Furthermore, such an apparatus is provided by which both the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus can be transported to any arbitrary positions on the first supporting member and the second supporting member.
(2) Both the first supporting member and the second supporting member are formed in straight-line shapes. Furthermore, there are provided: an apparatus capable of transporting both the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus to arbitrary positions on the first supporting member and the second supporting member; and also another apparatus capable of changing both the X-ray irradiation direction from the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection direction of the detection apparatus opposite to this irradiation direction in order that the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus can establish the opposite positional relationship between them at the transported positions by the transporting apparatus.
With employment of such an arrangement, the irradiation angle of the X-ray with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination can be arbitrarily set, and also, the X-ray image receiving apparatus is arranged opposite to this set irradiation angle. As a consequence, the X-ray fluoroscopic imaging operations can be carried out along the omnidirection with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination. Also, the IVR method can be carried out based upon the above-described three-dimensional image with reference to the two-dimensional fluoroscopic images acquired along the omnidirection. As a result, the positional information and also the shape information as to the blood vessels mixed with each other in the complex manner and the organs can become rich, so that operabilities of the diagnostic operations and of the curing operations can be improved.
Also, the above-described object of the present invention may be achieved by comprising: a rotary member rotatably supported by a supporting frame; a rotation control apparatus for controlling a rotation of the rotary member; a first supporting member supported by the rotation member, for supporting an X-ray tube apparatus which irradiates an X-ray to an object under examination; a second supporting member for supporting a detection apparatus for detecting a transmission X-ray of the object under examination, the second supporting member being supported by the rotary member and being arranged opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus; a control apparatus for setting an irradiation angle of the X-ray with respect to a body axial direction of the object under examination to an arbitrary irradiation angle, and also for arranging the detection apparatus opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus in correspondence with the set arbitrary irradiation angle; an image processing apparatus for processing an output signal from the detection apparatus so as to produce both a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image; and a display apparatus for displaying the image produced by the image processing apparatus.
The control apparatus is arranged by an X-ray tube apparatus control apparatus for transporting the X-ray tube apparatus to an arbitrary position on the first supporting member so as to arbitrarily set an irradiation angle of an X-ray with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination; and a detection apparatus control apparatus for controlling that the angle of the detection apparatus is located opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus in response to the irradiation angle set by the X-ray tube control apparatus. The X-ray tube apparatus control apparatus is arranged by an X-ray tube apparatus transporting apparatus for transporting the X-ray tube apparatus to an arbitrary position on the first supporting member; and an irradiation angle control apparatus for arbitrarily setting the irradiation angle of the X-ray tube apparatus at the arbitrary transported position. The detection apparatus control apparatus is arranged by a detection apparatus transporting apparatus for transporting the detection apparatus to an arbitrary position on the second supporting member; and an opposite-arrangement control apparatus for arranging the detection apparatus opposite to the X-ray tube apparatus at this transported position at the irradiation angle.
Both the X-ray tube apparatus control apparatus and the detection apparatus control apparatus are arranged by, for example, the below-mentioned items (3) and (4):
(3) The shape of the first supporting member and the shape of the second supporting member are formed in arc shapes in order that both the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus may maintain the opposite positional relationship at any positions on the first supporting member and the second supporting member. Furthermore, such an apparatus is provided by which both the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus can be transported to any arbitrary positions on the first supporting member and the second supporting member.
(4) Both the first supporting member and the second supporting member are formed in straight-line shapes. Furthermore, there are provided: an apparatus capable of transporting both the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus to arbitrary positions on the first supporting member and the second supporting member; and also another apparatus capable of changing both the X-ray irradiation direction from the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection direction of the detection apparatus opposite to this irradiation direction in order that the X-ray tube apparatus and the detection apparatus can establish the opposite positional relationship between them at the transported positions by the transporting apparatus.
When the medical X-ray apparatus is arranged by employing the above-explained arrangement, the lengths of the first and second supporting members are made longer than those of such a case that the opening portion is formed on the supporting frame and the rotary member. This opening portion is used to insert the object under examination. As a result, this medical X-ray apparatus can accept the entire portion of this object under examination without moving the object under examination.
With employment of the above-explained arrangement, the X-ray fluoroscopic angle with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination can also be varied, so that both the two-dimensional image and the three-dimensional images can be acquired by using the same apparatus along the multiple directions involving this fluoroscopic direction.
As a consequence, these two-dimensional images and three-dimensional images are displayed on either the same display apparatus or the separate display apparatus at the same time. While the operator observes these images, the operator can effectively perform both the diagnostic operation and the curing operation.
As previously described, in accordance with the present invention, while both the three-dimensional image and the two-dimensional image are produced by the same apparatus, the fluoroscopic imaging operation is carried out at an arbitrary angle with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination based upon the positional information and the shape information as to the diagnostic portion and the curing portion of the object under examination with respect to the body axial direction of the object under examination. While referring to the two-dimensional fluoroscopic images acquired along the omnidirection, the operator can carry out the IVR method. As a consequence, such a medical X-ray apparatus can be provided which can contribute the improvements in the diagnostic operations and also the curing operations, since the positional information and the shape information as to the blood vessels mixed with each other in the complex manner and the organs can become rich.